Spears, stone axes, war paint, bird of paradise plumes, bare breasted
women, Kundu drums, canine teeth necklaces, Kina shell chest plates,
war cries, headdresses made of human hair, penis gourds, wild bore tusk
nose piercing, warriors in formation, dancers, muscles glistening under
a sheen of pig fat, sweat, tropical heat, jungle…boys own adventure
story? Hollywood fantasy? Dramatic tourist show?
If you have ever had the privilege of feasting on the aural and
visual delight that the Mt Hagen show is, you will know that it is
much, much more. The biggest show in Papua New Guinea is a flamboyant
expression of an amazingly diverse culture that has thrived for tens of
thousands of years.
In late August of each year, over 50 tribes gather at Mt Hagen,
to celebrate this diversity. In a riot of colour and to the thudding of
drums tribal singsing groups strut around a large grassy arena cheered
on by crowds of wontoks (clans men) and a smattering of tourists.
Each tribe has their own distinctive headdresses, war paint and songs.
Women, their oiled skin glistening in the sun, sing traditional songs,
while the warriors, armed with spears and stone axes, march around the
arena chanting war cries.
The wild mix of feathers and weapons makes the singsing (ceremony) feel like a mix between a military parade and a Mardi Gras.
Nation Building
Once a year, since 1961, the Highlanders of PNG congregate and
flaunt the extremely diverse cultures that make up this fascinating
country.
The singsing was started as a nation building exercise to get
the numerous tribes of the highlands to interact peacefully for the
first time ever. Previously the only connection they made with each
other was with a lethal weapon.
The first contact the highlanders made with the outside world was only
in the 1930s. They had no concept of the Napoleonic ideal of a modern
nation state that PNG has been moulded into. To this date, political
loyalties are only grudgingly extended beyond a tribe’s wontoks.
While many regions of the country are making a successful
transition into the modern world, there are others which have serious
problems. Democratic institutions are yet to be fully accepted in many
regions where traditional Big Man politics continue to dominate. In
these parts, votes are either bought with traditional feasts of pigs or
forced by gangs of raskols wielding machine guns.
As long as the tribal system remains an integral part of modern
PNG, gatherings such as the Mt Hagen Cultural Show will continue to be
important instruments in forging a nation out of this island of tribes.
Ilhas do Papuas
The island of PNG was first settled by humans over 50,000 years ago. It
was named Ilhas do Papuas (Land of the Fuzzy Haired People) by Jorge de
Meneses, a 16th century Portuguese explorer.
The remote and dramatic nature of the landscape - towering
mountains, dense jungle and huge rivers - ensured that most tribes did
not have much contact with each other. As a result an amazing number of
languages and cultures developed through the country.
There are over 1000 tribes and about 800 languages spoken in
PNG. This represents a third of all the languages in the world! While
PNG Pidgin, or tok pisin, is the lingua franka of the country, English
is also spoken by many of the people.
Four main ethnic groups make up the five million inhabitants of PNG:
New Guineans (from the north); Papuans (south); Highlanders (central
mountains) and Islanders.
Huli, Mekoes, Chimbus, Menya, Kamea and Anga are some of the tribes
of PNG. Until fairly recently, cannibalism and head hunting was a way
of life for a number of tribes from the southern gulf regions.
Christian missionaries, who have penetrated even the most
remote corners of the country, have had a powerful influence on
modern-day PNG.
The Low Down
PNG is known as ‘The Land of the Unexpected”, if anything this is a major understatement.
While a tourist infrastructure does exist, in most places it is very
basic. There are a few five star tours that will take you around in the
lap of luxury, but going on one of these would be like taking a blind
man to the movies.
Although there are few roads in PNG, the country is well connected
by air. If you do travel by road get ready for a bone shaking
experience and under no circumstances travel at night because hold ups
by raskols or bandits are common. Keep in mind that these rascals
aren’t Dennis the Menace types. They could be armed with anything from
machetes to M16s.
While most of the people are very friendly and hospitable, the
bigger cities like Port Moresby, Lea and Medang do have a crime
problem.
Dress down, the less you stand out the better. Don’t venture
outside after dark and never walk around with a camera hanging around
your neck. It’s an invitation to be robbed.
A bit of common sense, a respect for the local culture and a sense of
humour should be enough to ensure that you experience only the best of
the unexpected.